Sales are the channel that delivers the recurring cash flow vital for the survival of the business. No business can survive without selling – even not-for-profit companies and NGOs have to convince someone to make use of their products or services and convince the donors or sponsors of the worthiness of the cause. In these turbulent times, managing your cash is the only thing more important than selling.
I facilitated an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp at the University of Stellenbosch a few years ago. Professor Eugene Cloete said something that stuck with me: “If you want to succeed in business, be reliable and do a good job”. This builds trust, which rests on the pillars of character and competence. When it comes to sales, trust is simply not negotiable.
The character of a salesperson is firstly established by keeping your word. Be on time, be prepared, return calls, send material as promised – be reliable. It goes deeper than just that though. You must care about your customer – find the best solution for them and be honest about your product’s limitations. Also, treat them like real people. Remember their faces, their names, their birthdays, their likes and dislikes. And lastly, be your authentic self. Don’t put on a false front just to get a sale.
Competence in the sales arena is achieved if your product or service delivers what the customer expects it should. This relies on you knowing your products really well and not over-selling. It includes making sure the sales process is executed flawlessly right up to delivery and after-sales support. Put simply – under-promise and over-deliver.
The sales process consists of four phases. The first is doing proper preparation – choosing a customer segment, identifying a list of prospects and preparing sales material that addresses who you are, what you deliver, how much it is and what the risks are. The initial contact with your clients relies on networking activities, engaging in dialogue with prospects and, critically, setting up follow-up meetings. Your intent should be to understand the client’s challenges and find a solution to that – not to sell at any cost. The next phase is getting to close the sale. You must present your offering, either verbally, quoting or showcasing it. Your negotiating skills may be tested to convince the client to choose your value proposition. And then have a polished process in place to get the order in and the invoice out. The last phase aims to build a lasting relationship with your customer through after-sales service, evaluating and improving on the sales experience, maintaining regular contact and getting to repeat sales.
Mastering the art of sales requires investing time and energy. It requires meticulous planning and preparation. Learn the various steps in the sales process and prepare for every eventuality. Know your products and believe in them. Study your market and build trust with your customers. Practice your sales skills, follow the process, and don’t try to skip steps. If you build this, they will come.
So say the bosses
“Mastering the art of selling involves mastering the craft of providing your clients the education, products, services, and personal contact before, during and after the sale that they want, need and, more importantly, deserve. That’s how you succeed. That’s how you’ll not only survive and grow in this business, but will thrive, prosper, and achieve greatness through it.” – Tom Hopkins
The Sologix solution
GrowthWheel employs a focused approach to addressing the challenge of building lasting customer relations through networking, marketing and sales activities. The sales process is illustrated in the diagram herewith. Each stage of the process is well supported by decision sheets aimed at helping you gather and prepare information to determine and follow a course of action to attract and retain customers and execute the transaction.
Sales, like the management of cash, is a key activity without which no business can survive. Included in our online course Business 101 are two modules that deal with attracting and retaining customers and the process of selling to them. The latter revolves around sales planning, engaging with customers to present our solution, convincing them to choose us, executing the sale and maintaining the relationships.
Engage with Sologix to help you on this path. Join an online course or contact us for personal business coaching by sending us an email here.
